Belltowner’s appetites seem to be dictated solely by trends. A smart restaurateur should realize this and simply shutter their restaurant after two years of newness, then reopen again with a new “concept” (yucky word, I know).

The new Branzino was packed on Saturday night, while the no-longer-new-but-slightly-better Tavolata right down the same street (Second) was echoingly empty. A mystery, because the only thing we enjoyed at Branzino was the cookie sampler dessert. The tagliatelle: Chunky green strands of noodles trapped in a viscous, creamy sauce whose texture made me think of canned mushroom soup. The veal marsala: dry slivers of meat with a nondescript sauce. The real headscratchers? An overcooked risotto that could have been mistaken for rice pudding and an undercooked potato truffle gratin that bordered on crunchy.